With the enormous amount of price pressure and competition in the cleaning industry, organisations are constantly looking for ways to decrease overheads while remaining competitive.
WHEN IT comes to dosing and dispensing, a common misconception is that the purchasing price of a unit is one of the most important factors to consider in maintaining healthy margins. But in reality this often only has a minor impact over the long-run. Looking at the bigger picture, including the costs and benefits of a unit over its entire lifecycle is where impacts on bottom lines are usually felt the most — across the entire supply chain, from to end users. Latest innovations in chemical dispensing technology are helping ensure both cleaning performance and healthy margins, for chemical manufacturers and end users alike.
One of the most important factors to consider in keeping down costs, while optimising revenue, is the ongoing accuracy of a dispensing unit. One common problem with a lot of dispensing equipment is that over time the level of chemical being dispensed drops off as parts wear out. This can lead to a number of problems. The immediate effect is that, quite simply, when the level of chemical being dispensed drops below the required amount per use, less chemical will be dispensed. This results in decreased cleaning performance, making hygiene and cleanliness standards impossible to maintain.
Ironically, while the amount of chemical being dispensed is actually lower, the end result can be chemical wastage, as garments or surfaces need to be cleaned more than once – overall using even more chemical than should have been dispensed in the first place. This not only makes the jobs of cleaning operatives more difficult, but also means increased labour costs, as time is spent on re-cleaning.
A drop-off in the level of chemical being dispensed by a unit can cause problems for chemical manufacturers too. Firstly, it damages customer loyalty, as operators lose trust in products that don’t get the job done the first time. This can result in unsatisfied customers and ultimately lost contracts. Secondly, to remedy the issue of chemical drop-off, maintenance is required. These costs can quickly add up. For example, if a peristaltic tube wears out, the call out cost may only be £50, but multiply that by hundreds of installed units and that’s a lot of money and time that needs to be spent on maintenance.
Modern automated dosing and dispensing systems can help optimise these expenses by ensuring the efficient use of chemicals with every use, reducing operator time and guaranteeing cleaning performance. There are a number of technologies available on the market to regulate the level of chemical being dispensed.
Hydro Systems is the industry leader in venturi, which it has perfected over years of experience working with this technology. The incoming water stream is restricted by a nozzle, while the speed of the outgoing water is decreased by the inverted funnel shape at the bottom of the venturi. The result is a vacuum in the middle, where the chemical is sucked into the water stream. The amount of chemical introduced is regulated by interchangeable metering tips that restrict chemical flow into the water stream.
Hydro’s venturi technology enables dilution accuracy, meaning the right amount of chemical is mixed each time – ensuring cleaning performance is maximised. The device does not require external electricity, batteries, pumps, or air and instead runs off ordinary water pressure available in most buildings.
Thanks to the continual investment in innovation within the industry, state-of-the-art dispensing systems are answering the industry’s challenges, by providing well-designed, high quality dispensing equipment that ensures consistently good performance over the life of a system and helps keep down costs. Greater investment in design and engineering has meant dispensing systems have become more versatile and accurate, which is leading to bottom line results.
Mark Fitzgerald
Regional Sales Manager MEA
Hydro Systems
